Parkstone, Dorsetshire
July 22nd. 1889
Sam[ue]l Henshaw Esq.
Dear Sir
The leaf butterfuly does not confine itself to any particular species of plant to settle upon, but a very common form of leaf of the small trees and shrubs of the Malayan jungle agrees closely with the form of the wing of the insect.
The peculiarity of form, as shown is enclosed outlines, [2] consists in the short stalk and elongated apical portion of the leaf, and this form is found I think in trees & shrubs of many distinct genera & orders.
As the butterfly has a wide range in the Malay Region, & an allied species in India, it is evident that its protectiveness does not depend or its resembling the leafy any one species of plant.
Yours truly | Alfred R. Wallace [signature]
Please note my change of address. A.R.W. [signature]
Status: Draft transcription [Letter (WCP5224.5751)]
For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon
[Two simple line drawings of a single leaf attached to a section of stem]
A characteristic form of leaf of shrubs & trees of Malay Islands.
Status: Draft transcription [Enclosure (WCP5224.5752)]
For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon
Please cite as “WCP5224,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 28 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP5224